DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia, Oct. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Salient Energy, a company developing novel zinc-ion batteries as an alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, today announced that it has been selected as a finalist of Natural Resources Canada’s Charging the Future Challenge.
As a finalist, Salient Energy will receive $700,000 towards its development of a commercial-scale cell, transforming the product from a working prototype to a customer-ready solution. The Challenge aims to accelerate Canada-based clean battery innovations that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to create a cleaner and safer future.
Salient Energy’s battery is tailored to the unique needs of renewable energy storage, where the cost, safety, and longevity of batteries matter far more than weight. The company has proven that zinc-ion batteries can operate under the same principles as lithium-ion batteries while using materials that are inexpensive, abundant, and safe.
“Our zinc-ion batteries mimic the most important properties of lithium-ion batteries, but have been deemed safer to manufacture and use, offer a longer service life, and can be produced in North America – all of which reduce supply chain costs,” said Ryan Brown, CEO and co-founder of Salient Energy. “These key differences make zinc-ion batteries a true competitor in the energy storage category.”
“We are thrilled to have been recognized by the Government of Canada as an innovative company that is working towards building a clean, sustainable and safer future,” said Brown. “At each step of our development, we have demonstrated the ability of zinc to fit seamlessly into existing battery supply chain and manufacturing processes. The world needs a safe and viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, and we are confident in our ability to achieve this ultimate goal.”
This is not the first time that Salient Energy’s potential was recognized. Last year, Shell GameChanger, a program enabling startups to prove the worthiness of their early-stage, energy-related ideas, selected Salient Energy as a beneficiary of its funding and support.
“We have been helping the company to finalize their materials selection and to incorporate these materials into components that hit crucial performance targets,” said Catherine Smura from the Shell ResearchAlliance and GameChanger team. “I’m pleased that our help enabled the company to secure a finalist spot in the Charging the Future Challenge and wish Salient the best of luck for the grand prize next year.”
ABOUT SALIENT ENERGY
Salient Energy is a producer of zinc-ion batteries for applications in the electrical grid. The company’s proprietary cathode materials store energy in zinc in a way that has never been commercialized before allowing the batteries to have a high energy density and to use traditional battery designs that are compatible with standard manufacturing equipment. Salient Energy’s zinc-ion batteries are cheaper, safer, and longer-lasting than anything else on the market.
MEDIA CONTACT
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